Sonny retired from C&P Telephone Company after 30 years of service. He also served his country while in the Coast Guard and Naval Reserve for 14 years.

He worked at Mary Immaculate Hospital after retirement and loved each and every day he spent there surrounded by people who loved him dearly, and he took great pride in being able to help others. Sonny was a member of Seaford Baptist Church for 40 years and enjoyed serving his Lord. He was also a faithful member of Yorktown Masonic Lodge #205 A.F.&A.M. He received his Master Mason in 1958, and became a Worshipful Master in 2004.

Sonny was preceded in death by his father and mother, Roland H. and Alberta B. Oliver, and infant daughter, Renae Oliver.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Janice Elkins Oliver; his children, Vicki Weston and husband Jim of Yorktown, Jan Conley and husband Charles of Seaford, Arthur Roland "Art" Oliver Jr. of Gloucester; sister, Linda Ryan of Arizona; grandchildren, Mike Conley (Andrea) and Chris Conley (Krystle) of Seaford, April and Brooke Weston of Yorktown, Landen Roland Oliver of Gloucester; great-grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Austin and Grayson Conley, and his loving cat, Boots.

A service celebrating Sonny’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, 2011, at Seaford Baptist Church. Interment will follow in Beech Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Coke, Gloucester County. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 22, at Amory Funeral Home, Grafton.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to Riverside Hospice, especially Michelle and Sabrina, his loving caregivers Ellen, Pam, Donna Angie, and Dr. Blair Marsteller and Dr. John Bryant who cared for him like their own family.

The family requests memorial donations be made to Seaford Baptist Church, P.O. 207, Seaford, Va. 23696 or to the Alzheimer’s Association, 6350 North Center Drive, Suite 102, Norfolk, Va. 23502.